Human
Nature and Moral Development in Mencius, Xunzi, Hobbes, and Rousseau

Eric Schwitzgebel

History of Philosophy Quarterly, 24 (2007), 147-168.

Mencius, Xunzi, Hobbes, and Rousseau were all
political philosophers well known for their views on “human nature”.I argue that, to some degree of approximation, their views about human
nature can be best understood as views about the proper course of moral
education, and that, consequently, a picture of moral development stands near
the center of each man’s philosophy.I
then suggest that we can explore empirically which philosopher was nearest the
truth.